Senior Design Director

ABOUT MELLO

Mello is a premium merchandise manufacturing and branding studio helping food, beverage, and lifestyle brands create high-quality apparel, accessories, and products that actually stand out.

We’re not a print shop… We’re building a next-generation merch company - blending branding, product design, and manufacturing into one seamless experience.

Our clients range from fast-growing startups to established brands - and we’re just getting started.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re hiring a Senior Designer + Creative Director (Merch & Product) to lead creative across Mello.

This is a hands-on leadership role focused heavily on branding + merchandise and product design.

You will lead the transformation of client merch into elevated, fashion-forward collections - not just one-off branded items.

You are responsible for ensuring everything we create feels:

• Worth wearing beyond the brand
• Cohesive
• Intentional
• Premium

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Merchandise & Product Creative Direction (Core Focus)

• Lead the creative direction for merchandise collections across apparel, accessories, and cut-and-sew products
• Turn client merch into elevated, fashion-forward collections — not just branded items
• Develop concepts that feel cohesive across silhouettes, materials, and graphics
• Think beyond graphics — including fit, fabric, trims, and overall product experience

Product Design Execution

• Design and oversee:
• Apparel graphics and placements
• Full merch collections (tees, fleece, headwear, outerwear, accessories)
• Packaging and product details that elevate perceived value
• Create designs that are both visually strong and production-ready
• Collaborate closely with product development to ensure designs translate into high-quality physical products

Creative Direction & Brand Integration

• Translate brand identities into product-first expressions
• Ensure merch feels aligned with the client’s brand while also standing on its own as desirable product
• Build collections that feel intentional — not random assortments

Team Leadership

• Manage and mentor designers focused on merch and product
• Review work and push for higher taste level and stronger execution
• Establish clear creative direction and feedback loops

Client-Facing Work

• Present merch as collections, not one-off designs
• Guide clients toward elevated creative decisions
• Help clients understand the difference between basic merch and brand-building product

Ownership & Quality Control

• Own all merchandise design output from concept → final product
• Ensure everything meets Mello’s standard of premium, wearable, and worth keeping
• Collaborate with production to maintain quality through execution

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience

• 5+ years in design (agency, studio, or brand-side)
• Strong experience in apparel, merchandise, or product design
• Experience designing collections, not just individual pieces
• Experience leading projects and/or managing designers

Skills

• Strong in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
• Deep understanding of apparel graphics, placements, and product design
• Familiarity with materials, trims, and garment construction is a strong plus
• Ability to think in systems and collections, not just one-offs

Portfolio

• A strong portfolio showcasing:
• Apparel / merch collections
• Product-focused design work
• High taste level and premium execution

DISQUALIFIERS

This role is not a fit if you:

• Only have experience in branding or digital design without product work
• Approach merch as logo placement rather than product design
• Rely heavily on trends, templates, or surface-level ideas
• Have never designed or thought in collections
• Struggle with ownership, deadlines, or communication
• Produce work that feels generic, low-quality, or overly promotional

SALARY & BENEFITS

• Base Salary: $85,000 – $110,000 (based on experience)
• Performance bonuses tied to company and project success
• Opportunity to grow into Head of Creative (Product & Merch)
• High ownership and creative autonomy
• Direct impact on building a category-defining company

LOCATION

• In our Austin, TX HQ in South Austin (St.Elmo area)

APPLYING

Please send:

• Portfolio (required - must include product/merch work)
• Resume
• Short note on why this role fits you